[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2531-E2532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ADMINISTRATION'S ATTEMPT TO BAN THERAPEUTIC CLONING WORLDWIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make clear to my colleagues 
how the current Bush Administration and their cadre of religious 
zealots are again attempting to impose their ideological views not just 
across our country, but across the world. The Administration, with the 
backing of the anti-abortion movement and several predominantly 
Catholic countries, is strongly lobbying members of the United Nations 
General Assembly to vote for a resolution to enact a worldwide ban on 
therapeutic cloning.
  The Administration was not satisfied with their successful effort to 
cripple stem cell research in this country. Now, they want to use their 
considerable resources to destroy this promising research field 
throughout all United Nations member countries. And who will suffer if 
this effort is successful? People of all races, creeds, religions who 
suffer conditions as varied as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's 
disease, diabetes, chronic heart disease and spinal injuries. These are 
the individuals who have the most to lose if therapeutic cloning is 
banned.
  The following is a statement released by Don Reed who is a 
constituent from Fremont, California. Don and his wife Gloria are 
tireless advocates of spinal cord research. Their interest in this area 
is passionate and very personal. Their son Roman was a star college 
football player until he was paralyzed by a game injury that broke his 
neck. Since the accident, Roman has been confined to a wheelchair. The 
Reeds are very much aware of the promise of therapeutic cloning and 
stem cell research to someday help their son, and many others, to live 
less restricted lives. This statement describes the efforts of the 
Administration at the United Nations and provides a poignant view of 
its effect on his spinal injured son.

       White House Behind Christmas Attack on Stem Cell Research?

       ``This is like Scrooge putting Tiny Tim's doctor in jail,'' 
     said stem cell activist Don C. Reed today, reacting to news 
     that White House officials were part of a stealth campaign at 
     the United Nations to internationally ban all forms of 
     cloning with an up-or-down vote planned for December 8.
       ``My son is paralyzed with a spinal cord injury,'' said 
     Reed. ``Therapeutic cloning for stem cells is our only 
     realistic hope of cure: that he will one day stand up 
     and walk. But the White House continually attacks that 
     research, apparently because of the religious convictions 
     of the President.''
       As reported in Thursday's Financial Times of London, the 
     Bush-backed Costa Rica plan would ban cloning everywhere. 
     This would overturn the November 6 vote by the U.N.'s Legal 
     Committee. By a razor-thin margin, (80-79, with 15 nations 
     abstaining) that vote postponed a decision on the 
     controversial therapy for two years.
       ``Mr. Bush did not like the way that vote turned out,'' 
     said Reed. ``And he wants a new vote. Well, I did not like 
     the way the 2000 Presidential election turned out, but I 
     don't get to have that vote re-done. Millions of people will 
     suffer, if the President can overturn the November 6th U.N. 
     vote. That vote did not approve or disapprove therapeutic 
     cloning. It only says, we should take time to make this 
     important decision carefully. What's wrong with that?''
       A more moderate measure, sponsored by Belgium and backed by 
     the UK, would ban reproductive cloning but allow member 
     nations to make their own decisions on therapeutic cloning 
     for medical research. This is opposed by the President, the 
     Catholic church, and anti-abortion organizations.
       ``The American Medical Association supports therapeutic 
     cloning,'' says Reed. ``As does our own National Academy of 
     Science.'' Exhaustive studies have been done on therapeutic 
     cloning again and again, both nationally and in the state of 
     California, as well as in countries like England, Israel, 
     Singapore and China. All arrive at the same conclusion: 
     reproductive cloning of children is dangerous to the unborn 
     child, and should be banned; but therapeutic cloning of stem 
     cells is potentially enormously valuable to cure hundreds of 
     diseases and disabilities, and should be preserved.

[[Page E2532]]

       ``None of the stem cell lines approved by the White House 
     can ever be used to help people,'' says Reed. ``Because all 
     of those stem cells were fed on rat feeder layers, which not 
     only brings the possibility of interspecies infection, but 
     also disqualifies them for human use according to FDA 
     guidelines. To individualize embryonic stem cells for human 
     use, therapeutic cloning for cells is a must.''
       ``If therapeutic cloning is banned, embryonic stem cell 
     research is effectively killed,'' said Reed, ``and my son is 
     imprisoned in his wheelchair forever. This is not the sort of 
     Christmas present one expects from the President of the 
     United States.''

  My fellow colleagues; advanced cellular research is a ray of hope for 
the Reeds and many others. And this hope is based in reality. According 
to the National Institutes of Health, therapeutic cloning and stem cell 
research has ``enormous'' potential to improve the lives of many. We 
should not interfere with this progress; we should embrace and support 
it. I ask you to join me and protest the efforts of the Bush 
administration at the United Nations to ban therapeutic cloning.

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